Each year, faculty and staff from the College of Business participate in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and DECA events to support local high school students. This semester, we had eight amazing faculty and staff members serve as judges and assist with tabling and promotional outreach. Through judging, tabling, and promotional outreach, our faculty and staff help encourage and connect with the next generation of business leaders.

FBLA and DECA are national career and technical student organizations that prepare students for careers in business, marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. Through competitive events, workshops, leadership conferences, and networking opportunities, students develop essential skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving. By competing in business-focused simulations and presenting real-world case studies, students gain hands-on experience that helps them grow into confident, capable future business leaders.

In early February, CBUS was promoted at four FBLA district competitions, with 500 high school students attending each event. This means we connected with nearly 2,000 students through those FBLA competitions alone! Last weekend’s state DECA competition welcomed an impressive 3,900 high school students. CBUS was a sponsor and had a table at this event as well.

A huge thank you to all of our faculty and staff who participated:

Pam Packer 

Debbie Gillard 

Laurel Lane 

Biswadip Ghosh 

Nicole Vowles 

Biff Baker 

Catherine Jackson 

Donelyn Jones 

Their engagement made a meaningful impact on students exploring their interests in business, marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship.

Two individuals taking a photo in front of a large blue banner that reads ‘MCS Marketing Communications Series’ at an indoor event with tables and chairs in the background.
Five smiling young women stand together in an indoor facility, posing for a photo. They are holding up small, blue MSU Denver stickers. Two of the women are wearing professional cream-colored suits, while the others are dressed in casual dark hoodies and jackets. An exit door with a red

Get Involved at the 2026 Colorado FBLA State Leadership Conference

There is still time to get involved in the upcoming Colorado FBLA State Leadership Conference, which had 3,580 students in attendance in 2025. The 2026 conference will take place April 2-4 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.

There are several ways to participate:

WORKSHOP PRESENTER PROPOSAL

Student attendees enjoy learning from business professionals during workshop seminars at our State Leadership Conference. Submit your proposal to speak to our students and share your valuable expertise.

If you experience any difficulty with the link, please contact Pam Packer: [email protected].

COMPETITIVE EVENT JUDGES SIGN-UP

Our conference wouldn’t be possible without the help of volunteer judges supporting the competitive events program. All judges receive a full orientation on site before judging begins, so no prior experience is needed. You’ll feel inspired after hearing from our motivated student members!

If you experience any difficulty with the link, please contact Pam Packer: [email protected].

ASSIST WITH TABLING AT FBLA

Friday April 3, 2026

8 am – 3 pm

There is one free lunch!

If you experience any difficulty with the link, please contact Pam Packer: [email protected].

Three young women in matching black professional blazers pose for a photo. The student on the left and the student in the middle hold small navy blue pennants that read